


Hot Shots of Love

by AngelHeart2015



Series: Hot Shots of Love [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Assassin's Creed - Freeform, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, Aveline de Grandpré - Freeform, Connor Kenway - Freeform, Connorline, F/M, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Ratonhnhaké:ton - Freeform, Romance, happiness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2020-01-12 01:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18436439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelHeart2015/pseuds/AngelHeart2015
Summary: Just a collection series of one-shot stories of Connor and Aveline.  Fluff.  Angst.  Friendship.  Smut.  Some short, some long.  Which one will be your favorite?





	1. Halloween Ball: Dancing in the Moonlight

“Oh come on!  You look fine!” A sigh came from a man as he adjusted his mask on his face.  His friend just _had_ to drag him to this party that he doesn’t particularly care for.  Then again, it’s a good reason to get out of the hotel.  The man and his best friend got out of the car and began walking to the grand mansion.

“Kanen’tó:kon, why did you insist for me to come to this party?  You know how much I don’t care for them.”

“Well, for one Ratonhnhaké:ton, _you_ were the one asking me to get you out of having to stay in that long meeting with your father.  Two, it’s Halloween.  Going to parties means costume contests which means prizes.  And I plan on winning something tonight.  And three, I need your moral support.”

Ratonhnhaké:ton snickered. “Moral support for what exactly?”

Kanen’tó:kon averted his eyes as he fixed his collar. “I’m...trying to see if Patience is there and ask her to dance with me.”

The Mohawk Native snickered again.  He knew Kanen’tó:kon had a difficult time asking out girls since the sixth grade and would spaz out at the last second.  But he had to give his friend some credit for finally having the courage to asking out the dark-skinned beauty for some coffee.

“I think she’d be there considering that she was the one who gave you an invite for the Halloween party.” Both men looked at the mansion in awe.  Loud music and some flashing lights emitted from the building.  Several willows were on both sides of the mansion, decorated with spiderwebs and giant tarantulas.  The door was covered with slime and fake blood, guarded by the skeleton of an alligator on the lamp post.  Both Native men stopped in front of the door, fixing the details on their costumes.

“How do I look?” Asked Kanen’tó:kon.  Ratonhnhaké:ton observed his friend.  Kanen’to:kon wore a black shirt under his bright red leather jacket with black stripes accenting the material and pants with black dress shoes.  The man’s hair was pulled into a ponytail, letting only a strand of curly hair hang in front of his forehead.

“Like the King of Pop himself.  I still can’t believe you’re making me wear this thing.” The Native tugged his collar in distaste.  He didn’t fancy wearing a magician’s tuxedo.  It was enough that his cape was giving him shit, constantly getting caught in doors and stepped on.

“It was the only thing on clearance and we were in a rush to find you something before the store closed.  You’d rather be wearing that ugly chicken costume or that Robin Hood costume with cheap tights?  Besides, you look like a nice Tuxedo Mask!”

“Just knock on the door already.” The younger Native chuckled before loudly banging his fist on the door.  It opened immediately to find a man wearing an undead clown costume.

“Hello.  Do you have an invitation to the de Grandpré’s Halloween Ball?” Kanen’to:kon briefly showed the paper to the butler. “Very well gentlemen.  Please enjoy the party.” He opened the door wider and allowed the men to enter.

Some guests lingered in the hallway talking to each other or enjoying their snacks.  Ratonhnhaké:ton and Kanen’to:kon  continued walking through the hallway, taking note on how there were many people of shapes, sizes, and races attending the party.  And all of them were either relaxing on the furniture in other wide open rooms, eating to their heart’s content, or dancing until they can’t dance anymore.  The Mohawk Natives make their way into the grand ballroom, where there were countless partiers danced the night away in the blasting music.  Several people stared at the pair, admiring their costumes.  The men walked over to the snack table, getting some punch to steel their nerves.

“So, where’s your girlfriend supposed to be?” Ratonhnhaké:ton chuckled when he saw his friend choke on his drink.

“She’s not my girlfriend!  Well, not yet.” He looked around to see Patience’s familiar face among the crowd. “And I’m not sure.” Before he could say another word, the DJ spoke into the microphone.

“Everybody having a good time?” The crowd cheered in response. “Good!  Because our hostesses of honor are here!  Everyone, give it up for Aveline de Grandpré and Patience Gibbs!”

A spotlight shined on two women standing at the top of a semi-long stairwell.  The brown-skinned woman on the left wore a beautiful strapless white dress with gold accented circles on the bust.  Her braids were put into buns on each side of her head, the tails cascading down to the middle of her back.  A yellow crescent moon adorned her face along with her pretty makeup.  On top of her head was a golden tiara with a heart in the middle.  A bright red gem in the heart shined in the light.  On the right was another woman, a little more darker-skinned than her friend, was wearing a navy halter dress with bright crystal diamonds shining on her waist and bust.  The bottom of the skirt was sheer but shining with tiny gems.  She also had a golden tiara upon her head but it was in a more complicated design with shiny diamonds.

“ _Merci monsieur!_ Thank you all for coming out tonight!  Continue to enjoy the food and all!”

“Just remember that the party goes on until two a.m.  And when it’s all over, you ain’t gotta go home but you can’t stay here!” The crowd bursts into laughter for a brief moment. “DJ, put some good dancing shit on!” Patience looked around the crowd, hoping that her new “friend” was amongst them.  Her eyes lit up for a brief second before she turned to Aveline and whispered in her ear.  Aveline nodded as both women descended the stairs and dispersed into the crowd.

Ratonhnhaké:ton finished his cup before getting some more punch.  Never in his life did his mouth get so dry from laying eyes on such a beautiful woman.  So she was the lady of the house.  And she’s apparently friends with the woman Kanen’to:kon likes.  At least the food and the music can keep him distracted.

“There you are!  I was hoping you’d come!” Kanen’to:kon smiled when he saw Patience walk over to him and his friend.  He felt himself flush from feeling the woman wrap her arms around his frame.  He returned the hug, making a face when he saw Ratonhnhaké:ton holding in his laughter.

“And now I’m here!” The dark-skinned woman removed herself from the embrace, still remaining close to the Native. “Patience, this is my best friend Ratonhnhaké:ton.  Ratonhnhaké:ton, this is Patience.” The dark-skinned beauty shook the man’s hand.

“So this is the hard-headed friend you told me about.”

Ratonhnhaké:ton scoffed. “You told her I was hard-headed?  You could’ve at least told Patience I’m just stubborn!” The group laughed over the Native’s exaggeration.

“Are you two gonna enter the costume contest?  You guys would win the grand prizes for sure!”

Kanen’to:kon nodded. “Yup!  I plan on winning myself.”

The elder Mohawk Native scratched his head. “I don’t think I’ll participate.  Not really my thing.”

Patience smiled in understanding. “That’s fine with me!  As long as you guys are having a good time, that’s all that matters!” The group heard the DJ transitioned from one song into Thriller.  Several partiers dressed as different eras of Michael Jackson immediately went to the middle of the dance floor.  Seeing the opportunity, Patience tugged Kanen’to:kon’s hands. “Come dance with me!” Before his friend could hesitate, Ratonhnhaké:ton gave Kanen’to:kon a push.

“Don’t keep a lady waiting.” He smiled as he received a casual stern look from the Native as he was dragged to the dance floor.  Ratonhnhaké:ton pulled out his phone and recorded a bit of Kanen’to:kon’s moonwalk before he almost tripped over his own two feet.  He threw away his empty cup before stepping outside.

Ratonhnhaké:ton breathed in the sticky air of New Orleans.  At least it wasn’t stuffy like how it is on the inside.  He walked into the large garden filled with many vibrant flowers.  Ratonhnhaké:ton couldn’t help but be amazed.  The weather back home in Boston is a lot cooler with all of the leaves of trees turning orange, red, and brown.  The weather down here in New Orleans is a little too warm for his liking at this time of year.  Brown eyes looked around and spotted a nicely-sized gazebo.  He walked over to it and stepped through the entrance, taking a seat on the bench.  Ratonhnhaké:ton looked to the blackened sky decorated by the stars.  He smiled as he saw the moon glow amongst her children.

“Oh!  I didn’t know someone would be out here!” The sudden pretty voice shook the Native out of his star-gazing.  The beautiful woman he saw earlier smiled as she entered the gazebo.  Aveline waved her hand as a means of peace when she saw the Tuxedo Mask partier raise from the bench. “I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to frighten you!  I promise I don’t bite!” Ratonhnhaké:ton slowly sat back down on the bench.  The de Grandpré heiress sat down next to him, though keeping a bit of distance from the guest.  She stretched her arms to the sky and inhaled the New Orleans air. “I love it when the moon shines so bright on this kind of night.” The Native nodded.

“I agree.” Silence danced between the two.  Aveline glanced over to her guest, wondering why he was sitting outside by himself and not inside dancing with the others.  Her heart _thumped_ a little when she saw his smile.  He looked so serene looking at the night sky.  She could tell the man was tall and probably not from here.  Her curiosity piqued from seeing the white mask on the guest’s face.

“If I may ask, how come you’re in the garden all by yourself?” The question Ratonhnhaké:ton wanted to avoid made him sigh inwardly.  Then again the moon princess deserves an answer since it’s her party that he’s at.

“Parties are kinda not my thing.”

Aveline smiled. “I understand.  Not everyone likes likes to party.  Especially if you go alone and you don’t know anyone there.” Ratonhnhaké:ton felt his heartbeat perk up from hearing Aveline voicing his feelings.  Just...who is this woman? “Did you come here by yourself?” The Mohawk Native adjusted his gloves.

“No.  I came here with my friend who’s currently dancing with the other hostess of the hour.”

Hazel eyes widened at the new information. “Wait a minute, the guy that Patience is crazy for is your friend?!”

Now that got Ratonhnhaké:ton’s attention. “She told you about him?  And she does like him?” Aveline chuckled as she recalled Patience finally telling her about a guy she was seeing after her asking constantly.

“Yes!  It took a while to finally get her to talk.  She told me about this guy and his friend are staying in New Orleans to discuss a business deal and get it running with the owner of the _Le Coeur de Jeanne_ Hotel for a little while.  I knew she invited him to come to the party but I didn’t know he brought his friend with him!” It was the Native’s turn to chuckle in amusement.  Kanen’to:kon definitely has a girlfriend now.  A lot of teasing will come in the morning over a plate of hot waffles.

“Did you meet Kanen’to:kon yet?”

“I did!  I can see why Patience was so keen on finding him all night.” Silence filled the void between the two, making it a little awkward. “They both told me to check on you.  Kanen’to:kon didn’t want you to be alone and not having fun.” Ratonhnhaké:ton smiled.  That’s just like his best friend. “But how are you faring tonight?” The sudden question threw the man off course.  The kindness in her voice made him lose his breath for a moment.

“I-I’m fine.” Ratonhnhaké:ton adjusted his mask for the third time of the night.  The Afro-French woman smiled.  She could tell her guest was nervous and to be honest, so was she.

“Good!  Are you going to participate in the costume contest?”

“No.  That’s also not really what I’m into.  Kanen’to:kon will.”

“I can tell that he’ll win first prize for sure.  Then again, Patience may be a bit biased when she judges him.” Aveline pulled out her phone to see if she received any messages.  She opened up her social media account to find her being tagged in a video of Patience dancing closely to Kanen’to:kon to a slow song. “Your friend is more than likely to win without question.” The de Grandpré heiress shared her phone to Ratonhnhaké:ton while stifling her giggles.  Ratonhnhaké:ton smiled before snorting in amusement.  This is _so_ going to be blackmail somewhere down the line.

“Well I’ll be!  Kanen’to:kon successfully asked out a lady and danced with her without panicking!”

“I gotta give him some credit.  Patience hasn’t struck luck with guys in a while and I think Kanen’to:kon might’ve changed it!” The pair snickered over their teasing on their friends. “Speaking of those two, we should go back and join them!  A little bit of dancing never hurt!” Hearing the suggestion brought a tiny chill to Ratonhnhaké:ton’s spine.

“Um…I think I’ll stick to just watching them instead.”

Hazel eyes blinked in confusion. “How come _cher_?”

The Native averted his eyes away from the brown-skinned beauty. “I...It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Aveline softened her gaze and smiled. “If you don’t want to share, I won’t pressure you about it.” Hearing the comforting words helped Ratonhnhaké:ton swallow his nerves.

“I’m...not a great dancer.”

Aveline blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“I can’t really dance without looking weird.” A small silence passes.

“Oh...Was that it? Nothing to be ashamed of despite the amount of teasing you do to your friend about Patience.” The smirk on Aveline’s face almost made Ratonhnhaké:ton regret opening up to her.  Almost. “In fact, I’ll teach you!” Soft brown eyes widened at the suggestion.

“You’re kidding.”

The woman rose from the bench. “I never joke when it comes to dancing!  Now come on!  If you can waltz, you can do anything!” Aveline extended her hand to her guest.  He looked at it for a few seconds before sighing and taking Aveline’s hand.  She pulled Ratonhnhaké:ton to the middle of the gazebo. “Now then,” Aveline took the man’s hand and placed it on her lower back, “This hand goes here and the other holds my hand.” She placed her free palm on Ratonhnhaké:ton’s shoulder.  The Native gulped, hoping Aveline didn’t hear him.  Their bodies were close to each other, but not too close.

Aveline tried to keep herself in check from getting distracted by this man.  He was built and his tall height didn’t help the situation.  It was _difficult_ to not put her head on his broad shoulder.  His cologne wafted in her nostrils, making Aveline use all of her strength to not bury her face in Ratonhnhaké:ton’s chest to inhale more of the scent.

Ratonhnhaké:ton was no better.  His heart pounded from even being so close to this beautiful woman.  Her beautiful brown skin glowed under the moonlight.  She looked _adorable_ with her braids put into buns like Princess Serenity.  And as weird as it sounded, she seemed to have fit perfectly in his arms.  The lingering scent of jasmine and vanilla sugar rolled off of Aveline, forcing Ratonhnhaké:ton to not bury his face in her neck to get lost in it.  It was weird of how much he wanted to lose himself with this woman he _just met_.  And yet...it felt so _right_.  Aveline cleared her throat before she began the lesson.

“Alright.  Now, keep your back straight and your chin up.” Ratonhnhaké:ton adjusted his posture. “Have your feet be apart just a bit.”

“Okay, done.”

“Good!  Now, you’ll follow my lead.  First, you step out with your right foot.” Aveline moved her foot out, guiding her guest to move with her. “Move your left foot back while my foot goes forward.” Ratonhnhaké:ton moved the way the woman told him to.  He hesitated when he accidentally stepped on Aveline’s toe.

“I’m sorry!”

“Don’t worry!  You’re fine!  You’re just a touch nervous.  Itchy even.” Aveline chuckled when she Ratonhnhaké:ton’s pretty eyes roll in amusement. “Let’s try this again.  Just remember to relax and breathe.  Move your right foot out, then your left foot back.  Just walk in a square.” Tuxedo Mask took a deep breath before moving his foot out again.  He stepped out then stepped back in.  He repeated the movements without stepping on his partner’s toes.

“You’re dancing!  See?  I told you you’d be fine!” Aveline’s dazzling smile was contagious.  Ratonhnhaké:ton grinned without realizing it.

“I guess you were right.”

“Now, after this last rotation, you keep a good grip on me and dip me.”

“Like in those romance movies?”

Aveline giggled. “Yes, but do it better than those movies.” Ratonhnhaké:ton stopped in his place with his leg out and knee bent.  He carefully dipped the moon princess, tightening his hold on her lower back.  Aveline giggled in delight.

The woman’s giggles ceased when she looked into the prince’s eyes.  Wow.  _She’s never seen such beautiful brown eyes before_.  They twinkled brighter than the stars above.  They were also filled with innocence and mirth.  But there was an emotion there that she couldn’t decipher.  She didn’t realize she was staring into the man’s eyes for a little while until Aveline felt herself be lifted from the dip.  The de Grandpré heiress felt crimson rise to her cheeks.  She cleared her throat as she released the prince’s hands.

“And there you are!  You learned your full lesson in ballroom dancing in less than twenty minutes.” Ratonhnhaké:ton smiled as he took a step back.  He slightly bowed and extended his hand.

“I don’t think I’ve fully practiced enough.  Would you do the honors of continuing to practice with me?” The moon princess was taken aback.  Who _is_ this man?  And how is it that he makes her feel butterflies in just one night?  She chuckled as she carefully curtsied.

“It would be my pleasure Tuxedo Mask!” The pair laughed as Aveline took Ratonhnhaké:ton’s gloved hand.  The pair soon resumed their dance positions.  Aveline was the first to take the step into the next dance.  Neither one realized that they were closer to each other or that their fingers slowly weaving with each other. “You know, I never really catch your name.”

The man blinked. “Didn’t Kanen’to:kon tell you when he asked you to find me?”

Aveline grinned sheepishly. “See, what had happened was-,” The beginning statement sent Ratonhnhaké:ton into a small fit of giggles, “Kanen’to:kon told me to find his friend wearing a Tuxedo Mask costume outside but I pushed him and Patience together for a song to dance to.  I didn’t want to keep interrupting their time!”

The Native smirked. “If you must know princess, my name is Ratonhnhaké:ton.” He dipped Aveline and chuckled when her eyes widened.

“I’m going to need to practice that a few times.” Tuxedo Mask raised the moon princess and continued to waltz.

“Then I’ll teach you.  Just repeat after me.  _Rah_.”

Aveline giggled with mirth. “Rah.” The Mohawk Native released Aveline’s waist and let her turn out.

“ _Ton_.” Aveline spun back into the prince’s arms.

“Ton.”

“ _Nnkhe_.” On instinct, Ratonhnhaké:ton spun Aveline, making her dress look like an expanding lily.

“Nnkhe.”

“ _Ton_.” He brought the moon princess back into his arms once again.

“Ton.”

“Say it all together now.” Ratonhnhaké:ton dipped Aveline before staring into her eyes.

“ _Ratonhnhaké:ton_.” A bright smile graced the man’s face.  Her French accent made his name sound even more beautiful.  The man pulled Aveline up from the dip, going back into their stances. “I can’t believe I got it right on the first try!”

“Of course you did!  I knew you would.” Ratonhnhaké:ton spun Aveline out and brought her back into his arms again.  The pair stopped their waltz to catch their breaths.  Without realizing it, Ratonhnhaké:ton rested his hands on Aveline’s hips.  He thought his lungs would collapse when he saw Aveline’s eyes.  They seemed to have changed colors from green to brown.

Aveline seemed to have gotten lost in the moment as well.  She felt herself get lost in her prince’s eyes.  Her hands had a mind on their own, traveling up Ratonhnhaké:ton’s arms, then to his shoulders, then to his face.  Dear God, Aveline’s palms were so _soft_.  Tuxedo Mask closed his eyes briefly, relishing the soft skin.  Who _is_ this woman?  Ratonhnhaké:ton opened his eyes again to bask in the moon princess.  Her palms traveled to the mask, feeling the soft material under her fingertips.

“I’ve never seen such beautiful eyes before.” Both parties were stunned by the compliment.  Aveline didn’t mean to voice her thoughts out loud.

“The same goes for you.”

The Afro-French woman felt her heart grow warm.  The compliment from the Native goaded her into lifting the mask from his face.  Ever so slowly, Aveline moved the mask upwards.  The journey to reveal the man’s face stopped when she glanced at Tuxedo Mask’s lips.

Neither one moved for a minute.  The atmosphere was set.  Their hearts pounding.  Aveline felt her head lean into Ratonhnhaké:ton’s face.  The man began to lean in as well.  Their noses touched, evoking a small shudder between them.  Aveline could feel Ratonhnhaké:ton’s warm breath against her lips.  She felt her eyelids grow heavy.  Ratonhnhaké:ton made no effort to stop himself.  He let his hand travel up Aveline’s back, feeling her soft, smooth skin.  His eyelids fluttered closed when he felt their lips almost touch.  Just...a little...more…

“Avi!  There you are!  What the hell are you still doing out here?  The party’s over!”

The sudden voice made the couple jump.  Both heads turn to see Patience and Kanen’to:kon standing at the entrance of the gazebo.  Worry came and left on their faces as relief set in.  The moon princess and Tuxedo Mask released each other from their holds, distracting themselves from being crudely interrupted from their intimate moment.  The realization of Patience’s statement finally set in.

“Wait, what do you mean the party’s over?!”

Kanen’to:kon took out his phone to show the time. “According to my handy-dandy device here, it’s officially two forty-five.  Meaning you missed judging the costume contest, several dance offs, and the rest of the line dances.” Never in her life did Aveline want to hit herself for neglecting to properly host her own event.  She sighed in frustration and self-loathing. “In any case, Ratonhnhaké:ton, we need to get moving.  You got that meeting later on at eight.  I suggest we head out now so you can attempt to get some rest.” Aveline and Ratonhnhaké:ton briefly glanced at each other before leaving the gazebo.

They walked right behind Patience and Kanen’to:kon, who were talking amongst themselves.  The silence between the prince and the princess was a bit unsettling.  Not only were they close to kissing each other despite only knowing one another for a mere few hours, their friends almost caught them in their intimate moment!  Ratonhnhaké:ton glanced at Aveline before looking at his friend.  A smirk snaked its way onto his face.

“Looks like those two are gonna be getting more coffee together for a while.”

Aveline ceased her session of self-loathing and looked at the couple.  Patience and Kanen’to:kon’s fingers were laced together.  Whispers and giggles of delight came from the couple, causing Aveline to smile.  The group entered the mansion, going through the large ballroom emptied from the lack of guests.

“By the way Patience, who won the costume contest?” The moon princess asked.

Kanen’to:kon looked back and smiled with pride as he took out a small envelope from his pocket. “Yours truly!  And by a landslide!”

Aveline grinned. “Define ‘by a landslide’?” They made their way through the ballroom doors and into the long hallway.  The open rooms were so tidy, it was as if a party didn’t happen.

“‘By a landslide!’  And no, Patience wasn’t biased in the judging.  I made sure of that.” The gang reached the front door in front of the stairwell.  Kanen’to:kon hugged Aveline before he hugged Patience tightly. “Again, thanks for inviting us!  The party was awesome!”

“And we’re glad you enjoyed it!” The Xeris princess opened the door before leading her friends out the door.  She hugged Ratonhnhaké:ton briefly before hugging the King of Pop again.  “Be safe you two!” She pulled Kanen’to:kon’s collar and whispered in his ear, “And I’ll see you tomorrow at twelve-thirty.” Patience gave one final hug before she sauntered back into the mansion.  The younger Mohawk Native pulled out his car keys and twirled them with his fingers.

“I’ll go ahead and go to the car.  You say your goodnights to the princess!”

Tuxedo Mask rolled his eyes as he heard his friend laughing as he walked.  The man turned to Aveline, looking as adorable as ever.  He attempted to calm his racing heart as he wrapped his arms around the princess.  Ratonhnhaké:ton’s stomach did a flip from hearing Aveline’s contented sigh.

“Thank you for a pleasant evening.  I enjoyed myself.  And sorry for making you miss the judging and all.”

The brown-skinned woman looked up and smiled. “You’re very welcome.  And it was no trouble at all!  There’s always next year for that!” A small silence comes in between them. “Is it alright if we join Patience and Kanen’to:kon on their next coffee date?  But just us at a different table?” The sudden question almost made Ratonhnhaké:ton choke on nothing.  This woman is full of surprises!

His heart melted at the sincerity in her eyes.  Ratonhnhaké:ton smiled as he took Aveline’s hand.  He slowly brought it to his cheek, nuzzling the soft skin.  He then brought Aveline’s palm to his lips and gently kissed the back of it.

“As you wish princess.” Ratonhnhaké:ton leaned forward and sweetly kissed Aveline’s cheek.  He released the woman’s hands and began to walk away. “Until we meet again princess.  Adieu!” Ratonhnhaké:ton’s cape waved in the wind as he raced to meet Kanen’to:kon.  Aveline stood there in a daze.  Her cheek burned with intensity from the kiss.  She turned around and walked back into the mansion and locked the door behind her.

Aveline went up the stairs, still in disbelief of how magical the night was.  She went to Patience’s room and laid down on the bed with her hand touching the skin that was kissed.  She felt the bed move, realizing that Patience sat down on the bed next to her.  Aveline didn’t have to roll over to see a teasing grin on her friend’s face.

“Looks like someone had a _good_ time tonight!” The dark-skinned woman continued to get rid of her makeup. “Can you unzip me Avi?  If you’re not too busy daydreaming about Kanen’to:kon’s friend.” The de Grandpré heiress rolled her eyes in amusement as she sat up.  She pulled the zipper down then began to take off her costume. “So, what exactly were you two doing outside for three hours outside?” Aveline opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a tank top with short shorts.

“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I said that all we did was talk and waltz.”

Patience stared at Aveline with a dead-panned expression. “I’m finding that very hard to believe.  That’s all you two did?”

“Uh, yeah?  Besides, you and Kanen’to:kon seemed to have done a little more tonight.” The teasing in Aveline’s voice caused Patience’s grin to slowly widen.  Both women squealed in excitement.

“Where am I supposed to begin?  He’s handsome, funny, a surprisingly _great_ dancer, and he’s so nice to hold!” Both women finished changing into their sleepwear and putting on their bonnets.  They plopped onto the bed and pulled the comforter over their bodies.

“I saw how ‘nice’ he was to hold on the Chat.” Aveline teased.

Patience scoffed. “I’m gonna kill Robby for that.  But overall, I really like Kanen’to:kon.  We’re gonna have our next date tomorrow.” Aveline’s heart warmed at her best friend’s confession.  She hasn’t seen Patience this happy over anyone in a long time.

“What are you guys gonna do tomorrow?”

“Going out for brunch at _L'étoile du matin_ restaurant in the hotel.”

Aveline blinked. “The one where Papa and I will meet the executives to collaborate with our hotel’s expansion tomorrow?”

“That’s the one.”

Aveline sighed as she moved onto her side to feel more comfortable. “Damn.  I was hoping to see if we could make a double-date together.”

“With Kanen’to:kon’s friend?  Raton...hnaton?”

“ _Nnkhe._ ”

“What?”

“His name.  Ratonhnhaké:ton.”

This piqued the dark-skinned beauty’s interest. “So that’s him.  Wait a minute, you mean to tell me that this guy you only knew for a few hours, who just happens to be Kanen’to:kon’s friend, asked you out on a date?”

Aveline pulled the covers over her head to hide her embarrassment. “He didn’t ask me.  I asked him.  And besides, I didn’t really get a good look at him nor did I get his number.”

“That is so not an excuse!  I’ll be sure to let Kanen’to:kon know that you two are going on a double-date with us after tomorrow!  But for now, get to sleep.  We both know how much of a ‘morning’ person you are.” The woman chuckled, feeling a small sting from a pinch on her arm.

* * *

 

Ratonhnhaké:ton adjusted his collar after he rubbed his eye.  His feet were slightly aching from all that dancing he did last night.  Those shoes were supposed to be comfortable to wear!  He knows not to wear those again when he goes dancing next time.  He sighed as he gathered his papers from the table and puts them in his briefcase.  Sure he likes being an early morning bird but the amount of dancing he did with Aveline last night tired him out.  Well, that and teasing his best friend non-stop until they went to bed when Ratonhnhaké:ton saw faint smudges of bright pink lipstick on Kanen’to:kon’s lips and cheeks.  He got up from his chair and walked out of the room behind other businessmen.

“You seem a little tired today.  What were you doing last night?”

Ratonhnhaké:ton knew his father was nosy and hated every time he asked about what he does. “Stuff.  I did stuff yesterday.” The men walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the first level.

“Fine, whatever.  Just try not to fall asleep in your food when we meet Mr. Olivier in the next few minutes.” The duo walked into the restaurant and were escorted to a booth.  A waitress came and took their orders for drinks.

“Just a water is fine.”

“Same thing please.”

“I’ll have a cup of earl grey if you don’t mind Miss Sunny!  Along with a vanilla butterscotch latte for the young lady.” The voice coming from behind Sunny somewhat startled her.  A man with silver hair and a casual business suit smiled as he walked over to the table.

“Right away sir!” Sunny smiled and turned to the opposite direction to the kitchen.

“Ah!  Mr. Olivier!  A pleasure to meet you!” The man shook hands with the northerners.

“ _Enchanté_ Mr. Haytham!” Philippe turned to Ratonhnhaké:ton. “And you must be…” A familiar voice cuts off the Native from saying anything.

“ _Ratonhnhaké:ton._ ” Aveline’s pretty face popped from behind Philippe.  The young Native’s eyes widened to see her wearing a business casual suit.  What was she doing here?

“Have you two gotten acquainted with each other?”

“A little Papa.  We were only able to get a word or two in.” The father-daughter duo took their seats and presented some documents.  Ratonhnhaké:ton swallowed his disbelief and took out his own share of documents.  It took great strength for him to not fluster from seeing Aveline’s flirtatious wink.

“Well now, shall we begin?”

The meeting lasted for an hour and a half.  Most of the main topics of each project were already discussed with the other executives.  The group fully went over the details that were missed and read in between each line.  Philippe imprinted his signature on the last line of the final document.  He passed the paper to his daughter, then Ratonhnhaké:ton, then to Haytham.  Ratonhnhaké:ton then pulled out a copy of the previous document and signed it before passing it around.  Very pleased with the outcome, Philippe gathered his papers and stacked them.

“It seems that we’ve come to a satisfying close!  It’s a pleasure doing business with you two!” Philippe gave a firm handshake to both men sitting across from him.

“Likewise.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have to a matter to attend to.  I will see you later on Connor.” Haytham left the money from his drinks and meal on the table before grabbing his briefcase and leaving the table.  Ratonhnhaké:ton tried not to frown in irritation from hearing his father call him by his other name.  Philippe called Sunny over and paid for the rest of the food and drinks.

“Speaking of which, I need to get going myself.  I have another meeting downtown and I can’t afford to be late.  Aveline, is it alright if you show...erm…”

“Ratonhnhaké:ton, Papa.”

“Right. Ratonhnha...ké:ton around a bit?  I’m sure he would make visits often with this deal in place and you both should get a little more acquainted with each other for this project.”

Aveline smiled at her father before kissing him on his cheek. “I will.  Be careful Papa!” The businessman grinned before leaving the booth.  Aveline turned to the Native, giggling at his surprised expression. “What is it?  _Tu as donné ta langue au chat?_ ”

“Uh…” The man wanted to hit himself for stammering.  He felt his cheeks grow hot from the woman’s constant giggling.

“Don’t worry!  I was also surprised to see you here as well.  I thought Kanen’to:kon was the one I would be seeing at this meeting today.”

Ratonhnhaké:ton relaxed his shoulders. “Still...I didn't realize you were Mr. Olivier’s daughter.  I thought Olivier was his last name?”

“Definitely a misconception.  Papa only uses his middle name as a guise for potential partners for his business.  The last time he used ‘de Grandpré’, the business was about to go under due to shady investors trying to use his image for their own personal gain.  Greedy fuckers.” Hearing the foul language coming from the heiress sent Ratonhnhaké:ton into a fit of giggles.  She just surprises him to no end!  However, there was one thing he wanted to know.

“How did you know it was me from last night?”

Aveline smiled softly as she propped her head on her hand. “Because I recognized those eyes I’ve only seen last night.” Ratonhnhaké:ton’s heart pounded from hearing the compliment in such a soft, silky voice.  He felt the air leave his lungs abruptly, causing him to almost choke on nothing.  He took a sip of the left over water in his cup to try to ease his small fit. “You know, I did talk to Patience about the double dates last night.”

“What did she say?” The man coughed as he cleared his throat.

“She’s far from opposing it.  In fact, she wants it to happen when we’re available to do it.” Brown eyes widen in shock.  First Kanen’to:kon having the guts to really go out with Patience, now him? “But,” Aveline held her thought for a moment when a different server came and took their dishes, “I want to give a coffee date a try first before we can do a double date.  If that’s alright with you…” Ratonhnhaké:ton’s heart warmed from seeing Aveline be a little nervous about this whole date.  He gently took her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.

“As you wish princess.”

Aveline giggled before flagging down another server. “Riley?  If you don’t mind, I’d like to get another vanilla butterscotch latte please!” She felt her fingers slowly lace with Ratonhnhaké:ton’s.

“And I’ll have a salted caramel mocha.”


	2. Kiss and Make Up

She hurriedly got into her car, irritated that the rain came out of nowhere and soaked her.  Not only were her clothes completely wet, but so was her hair.  She didn’t appreciate the fact that her locks got wet before the day she’s supposed to get them done.  The woman tried turning on the ignition.  Nothing.  Second attempt.  Nothing.

“Come on.  Come on!” She breathed a sigh of relief when the car finally started.  This was definitely not the time for the vehicle to die on her.  The woman’s attention was suddenly on her phone.  She quickly grabbed the ringing device and answered the call.

**“Salut?”**

_“Aveline!  Are you doing okay?”_ The woman softly smiled from hearing the voice over the phone.

“Don’t worry.  I’m fine Patience.”

_“How exactly can you be fine in this storm?  It’s raining cats and dogs outside!”_

“It’s only rain girl!” Aveline smirked, envisioning her best friend rolling her eyes.

_“Uh huh.  Sure.  Did you find him?”_

A saddening frown replaced the smirk on the woman’s face. “ **Non.**   He wasn’t there.” Aveline sighed as she drove into traffic.  It was a bit difficult to merge into a different lane since other drivers were in a rush to get home from being in the harsh rain.

_“I’m sure he’s around somewhere.  Maybe you should try the coffee shop?  It’s one of the places he likes to be at.”_

Aveline sighed again, forcing to keep her tears at bay.  She turned the corner onto another street. “I don’t even know if he’s there.  I mean, why would he be at the shop in this weather?”

_“You never know Avi.  Just try to hang in there okay?  I know you’ll find him.”_

The de Grandpré heiress sighed for the umpteenth time. “I will.”

_“And be careful.  There are assholes out there you know.”_

Aveline chuckled from hearing her friend’s profanity.  She pulled into a parking space and turned off the car. “I will.  I’ll talk to you later.”

_“Good luck girl!”_

Aveline hung up the phone and let her head hit the headrest.  She groaned aloud, trying to mentally prepare herself to leave the safety of her car.  The want to stay in the vehicle was strong, but the need to find _him_ was even greater.  With a newfound determination, the heiress stepped out of the car and dashed to the café doors.  She locked the car as soon as she stepped inside.  Inside, Aveline noticed that the place was filled with more patrons than usual.  They were probably seeking shelter from the unrelenting rain as well.  Her hazel eyes searched the room to find a familiar face.  They fell upon an employee that was serving a customer in line.  Aveline stood in line behind two people in hopes of meeting the employee.  A few minutes passed before she was able to meet the man behind the counter.

Dark brown eyes widened from seeing the soaked woman. “Aveline!  What happened to you?”

The woman rolled her eyes and snickered. “The sky just up and dumped a large bucket of water on me Terry.”

“Har har.  Anywho, what can I getcha?”

“Actually, I’m not here to order a drink.” Terry’s eyes blinked in confusion. “I wanted to know if you’ve seen Connor come here at all today.”

Terry shook his head. “Sorry.  I haven’t seen him since a few days ago.  He seemed upset about something though.  Wouldn’t tell me what it was despite me bribing him with caramel coffee cake.  He tries to eat that at every chance he gets!”

Aveline’s shoulders slumped from the information.  Her boyfriend would _always_ come to the coffee shop when he would be upset.  Connor must’ve really been upset from this ordeal between them.  Aveline put on her brave face and smiled.

“Oh well.  Maybe he’s at home.  I’ll try there.  Can you let me know if he comes by?”

The man nodded. “I will.  Just...be careful okay?  He’d probably kill me if he found out I just let you get sick in this kind of weather.” Both parties shortly laughed.

Aveline waved as she was leaving the building. “ _Au revoir mon ami!_ ” The woman quickly unlocked her car and ran to the door.

She wasted no time as she opened the door and got in.  Shivers overtook her body.  Aveline attempted to envelop herself in her arms.  All she could feel was her cold clothes clinging to her skin.  Hot tears pricked at the woman’s eyes.  All she wanted was to feel those strong arms to make her warm.  The woman shook her head and bit back the tears.  Thinking about what she wants isn’t going to help her or this mess that she and Connor got into.  She sighed as she tried to turn on the ignition.  A small prayer formed in her head, hoping the car would turn on with one try.  And lo and behold, the car revved up without any difficulty.  Aveline briefly cheered, leaving the parking lot to go to her next destination.

As soon as Aveline’s car left the parking lot, a different car went right past her and parked into her former spot.  The driver got out of their car and raced to the doors of the coffee shop.  They brought down their umbrella and took off their hood.  Terry, who finished a customer’s transaction, beamed as they saw who walked through the door.  He quickly clocked out for his break and speed-walked to the customer.

_“Connor!  It’s been a while!”_ Terry exclaimed in Mohawk.  He briefly hugged his friend, giving a boyish smile.

_“It’s only been about four days!  It’s not even a long time!”_ The man chuckled as he fixed his ponytail.  His soft brown eyes looked around to see the shop almost filled to the brim with customers.  His eyes seemed to have lost their shine when they couldn’t find a specific woman. _“Terry, did...did Aveline swing by here by chance?”_

The elder man’s eyes widen a bit.  He literally just saw her several minutes ago!  Why were these two playing tag with each other?  Suddenly, a thought hit him like a ton of bricks.  Aveline must’ve been the reason of why Connor clammed up a few days ago.  No wonder why he wasn’t stuffing his face with cake!  Terry didn’t know what happened between them, but it seemed to have upset and taken a toll on the couple.

_“You literally just missed her!  She left out a few minutes ago!”_

_“Seriously?!”_ The younger Mohawk Native dragged his hands down his face in frustration.  This is the third time today that he missed catching Aveline!  It’s like they’re playing hide-and-seek with each other!  Was she really trying to avoid him?

Seeing his friend’s turmoil, Terry placed his hand on Connor’s shoulder. _“Don’t worry man!  She was trying to find you too!  And it looks like she’s really worried about you.  She came in all soaked!”_

Connor felt a mix of relief and anxiety.  Relieved to know that Aveline was searching for him as much as he is with her.  Anxious that Aveline was only looking for him to exchange more words that would seal their fates.  He exhaled while straightening his hair.  Hot tears attempted to leak out of Connor’s eyes but he held them back.  Now was not the time to be shedding tears.  He needs to find Aveline.  With newfound determination, the Mohawk Native turned around to exit the coffee shop.

_“Wait!  Before you leave,”_ Terry raced to the counter and took out several pieces of caramel, toffee, and pecan crunch cakes.  He puts them in the bag and fills out the charges on the register.  Terry shoves the bag into his friend’s arms, amused from Connor’s bewildered expression.

_“Wha-?  Dude!  What are you doing?  Won’t you get in trouble for this?”_

Terry laughed. _“Don’t you worry about me.  Go after her.  You need this more than I do.  That’s for sure.  Aveline said she was heading for your place.  Maybe you should try calling her so she knows where you’re at.”_ Connor nodded and smiled. _“I don’t know what happened between you two, but you’ll be okay.  I guarantee it.  Now go!”_

The younger Mohawk Native hugged his friend before leaving the establishment.  He opened up his umbrella and made a beeline to his car.  Connor opened the door and threw the desserts onto the front seat.  He attempted to bring down his umbrella, but the weather disagreed with his decision.  The wind blew hard, causing the umbrella to fold in on itself.

_“Shit!  Don’t do this to me right now!”_ The wind seemed to disregard Connor’s plea as it made the man’s umbrella snap in half.  Poor Connor was dumbfounded that his only means of getting less wet was out of the question.  He grumbled to himself as he got inside of his car.  Great.  Now he was soaked completely.  His head dropped onto the steering wheel, bearing a slight tinge of pain from the impact.  Everything was frustrating.  From the argument from a few days before to self-loathing from the words he said to his girlfriend to going on a wild-goose chase just to find her and talk to her.  Now he has to deal with the fact that he’s soaked to the bone and that he’ll miss catching her again.

Connor sat up and rubbed his temples.  A lone tear escaped his eye.  He didn’t want any of this.  All he wanted was to properly tell Aveline what he was feeling.  But his nature of attempting to help without seeing the problem made things worse.  And the next thing he knew, he and his girlfriend were crying, Aveline stomped out of his apartment, and both of them refused to talk to each other.  The result from their spat left him restless.  He couldn’t sleep, much less function like he usually does.  He also missed seeing Aveline smile.  He missed her dry humor.  Her pretty face.  Her warm hugs.  He missed _her_.  And now he has to find her.  The man sniffed and wiped his cheek with his damp sleeve.  He turned the car on and drove out of the lot.

Connor drove down the street and made a right turn.  He cursed in mother tongue from seeing a traffic jam right in front of him.  He’ll never be able to get home in time in case Aveline shows up!  The man quickly got out of his lane and went in the opposite direction.  It looks like he’ll just have to take a detour.  Connor pulled out his phone and dialed the number by heart.  It went straight to voicemail.  Groaning inwardly, the Mohawk Native left a message before setting the device back in its place.  But unbeknownst to him, Connor didn’t realize that his girlfriend was a vehicle away from him being stuck in traffic.

_“Merde!”_ Getting stuck in this traffic is one of the last things she needs right now.  Aveline groaned in irritation.  Why can’t she just go on her way in peace?  She tried to look at her lock screen on her phone, but the clock and screensaver didn’t appear.  A flashing battery with hardly any energy appeared instead.  The damn thing can barely stay charged!

The heiress plugged her phone to the mobile charger.  Hopefully she can get some juice in soon.  She turned up the radio to drown out the rain pelting on her car.  Aveline exhaled in relief as traffic finally started to move.  She went further down the street and turned multiple corners.  She was getting closer to the building.  That is, until she realized her car was moving slower and slower.

“No, no, no!  Not now!” Aveline released a string of profanities while parking on the side of the street.  She was only a few feet away from Connor’s apartment’s parking lot!  She turned the car off before dragging her hands down her face and giving a small frustrated yell.

Why is this happening to her?  Her car wasn’t having this much problems before!  Aveline couldn’t help but allow some tears to fall.  Everything sucked.  She thought back to the previous days of where the argument between her and her boyfriend blew up in her face.  Aveline remembered how she stormed out of Connor’s place.  She remembered how sick she felt when she got home.  She remembered how she couldn’t sleep nor eat.  The guilt, frustration, and heartache wouldn’t leave her alone.  And the moment where she wants to apologize to Connor and make amends, the universe decides to turn its back on her?

Not only did Aveline want to make amends with Connor, she missed him.  And really, she _missed_ him.  She missed seeing his handsome face.  She missed how tightly he wraps his arms around her.  She missed how his eyes light up from correctly guessing a word he told her in Mohawk.  All she wanted was to be back with him.  To make it up to him.  But how can she when she’s stuck here and he’s not even home?  While Aveline was busy self-loathing and figuring out her next step, Connor happened to drive past her and pulled into the parking lot.

Connor felt like he was at his wits’ end.  He tried calling Aveline three times and each call went straight to voicemail.  He even called her parents and Patience and asked if they spoke to her.  Patience admitted to speaking to Aveline earlier but neither Jeanne or Philip heard from their daughter for a day or two.  He just felt...lost.  And worried.  He really didn’t know what to do.  Connor turned off his car and sighed.  Maybe Aveline was in the middle of something and she couldn’t get to her phone?  Or did it die?  Yeah.  That was it.  That had to be a good reason of why she wasn’t answering his calls.  The Mohawk Native shook his head.  It was useless of trying to convince himself with those excuses just to feel better.  He grabbed the bag of cold cakes and tried to hide them under his already soaked coat to the best of his ability.  He jetted out of his car and straight into his apartment building.  Damn.  Even though it only took him three seconds to get inside the building, Connor got completely soaked again.  He desperately needed to change into dry clothes before he comes down with something.

Outside, the de Grandpré heiress was able to calm herself down.  She took another deep breath while fishing for her phone.  A grin worked its way onto her face when she turned on her phone.  The battery percentage was at thirty-nine percent.  Just enough to make the phone calls she needs.  Her hazel eyes widened when she gets notifications of several missed calls and a few voice messages.  Her boyfriend called her three times, then Patience, and lastly her mother.  Well, first thing’s first, she needed to get a tow truck to come and get her car.  While the tow truck was on its way, the woman proceeded to call her mother back first and then her best friend.  The heiress made sure to ease their worries and hung up as soon as the conversation was finished.  Before she could listen to the voice mails Connor left her, the tow truck company called her to let her know they were right behind her.  They pulled in front of the car and began to do the work.

Aveline stepped outside despite not wanting to be pelted by the rain.  The driver of the tow truck quickly asked for Aveline’s information and told her that her car would be held at the auto shop.  Aveline agreed and explained what happened with her car before it went out on her.  The driver understood Aveline’s situation and said that he’d call her when the car is fixed.  The heiress thanked the men before booking it to Connor’s apartment.  As soon as she darted through the doors, Aveline took turns of breathing hard and sighing in relief at the fact that her car trouble will be taken cared of.  Now she just needed to get to Connor.

The man upstairs was drying his hair with a towel.  He already removed his soaked clothing and tossed them into a hamper.  Luckily, laundry day was tomorrow.  Connor sighed again in disappointment.  He was just exhausted mentally and physically.  Connor changed into a pair of thick sweatpants, debating on whether he should try to call Aveline again.  He almost tripped stepping into the pant leg when he heard a loud rapping of knocks on his front door.  The Mohawk Native clumsily pulled up his pants as he raced out of his bedroom to the front door.  He hissed in pain from bumping his knee into the dining room table.

Aveline tried to keep her teeth from clattering, but the task seemed damn near impossible.  Her body was shaking as an effect from being pelted by tiny ice daggers a few minutes earlier.  She briefly knocked on the door a few times then went back to hugging herself to retain some kind of warmth.  So far, nothing.  Aveline knocked on the door again.  Her confidence and faith was wavering with every second passing.  The woman’s shoulders slumped in disappointment and sadness.  Tears prepared to leave hazel eyes but held their place when the front door _clicked_.  Aveline shot her head up when she heard Connor’s audible gasp.

“A-Aveline…” Both parties felt time stop.  All they could do was stare at each other.  Aveline thought her heart would stop from seeing her boyfriend wearing only his sweatpants.  Connor thought his heart would implode just from seeing Aveline with his own two eyes.

“C-C-Connor…” Hearing Aveline say his name brought the Native out of his stupor.  He quickly moved to the side and gestured the woman to enter his home.

Connor closed the door as soon as the shivering woman fully came inside.  The silence was deafening.  The tension was thick.  Even a knife was afraid to cut between the pair.  Luckily for Aveline, she started to shiver less and less thanks to the heat filling the place.  Soft brown eyes gazed into pretty hazel gems.  Neither one could move.  Neither one could speak.  All they can do was just stare at each other.  Without thinking, Connor’s eyes drank in Aveline’s form.  Her soaked clothes clung to her form.  Her hair, despite being wet, became a little more curly to show its form reverting back to its natural state.  Her brown skin seemed to...shimmer from the water droplets.  Even though she got rained on and looked like she hasn’t slept in days, Aveline looked positively _stunning_.  Connor mentally kicked himself.  This wasn’t the right moment to get himself lost on how beautiful his girlfriend looked.  He had to set things right.

“Aveline-”

“Connor-” Both of them paused when they heard each other speak.  Connor attempted to talk again until Aveline’s voice silenced him.

“Connor...I...wanted to tell you something…” Panic and anxiety danced in the man’s stomach.  He glanced down at the heiress’ hands.  Aveline _always_ played with her pinky fingers when she was nervous.  Hell, who wouldn’t be at this given moment?

“So do I...But, you go first.”

Aveline nodded.  She took a deep breath before speaking her thoughts. “I...I wanted to apologize to you.” Connor’s eyes widened. “The words I said to you were unacceptable.  It was not in my place to get upset at you and to storm out of the place.  I should’ve thought about how my actions and my words would’ve affected you greatly.  I...didn’t let to you explain anything either.” Aveline took another deep breath to keep her tears from falling.  Several of them leak out of her eyes.  She sniffled and tried to keep it together. “I let my foolish pride get the better of me.  I wanted to be right.  I wanted to get the last word in.  And I…” The Afro-French woman wiped her eyes with her soaked sleeve. “I should’ve been more considerate of your feelings.  And for that, I apologize.  I apologize for not being considerate of your feelings.  I apologize for talking over you.  I apologize for storming out and for hurting you.  I apologize to you, Connor Kenway.”

The man was completely speechless.  Aveline’s heartfelt apology moved him to tearing up.  He tried to look his girlfriend in the eye only to see that she was looking down.

“Aveline…” She didn’t respond. “Aveline, look at me.” Slowly, the woman raised her head and stared at the Mohawk Native.  She sniffed again and wiped more tears.  Connor took a deep breath this time as he tried to piece together his thoughts to say aloud. “You’re not the only one who needs to make amends.” That got her attention. “I apologize for my actions as well.” Connor started to massage his hands to keep himself calm and steady. “I was also foolish with my words and actions.  I was...I was trying so hard to diffuse the problem that would cause us to have an argument only to make things worse.  I was so focused on trying to handle it at first glance, I ended up not listening to you.  I was selfish.” Aveline’s eyes widened to see more tears running down Connor’s face. “I hurt you with my selfishness.  I wasn’t considerate of your feelings either.” Connor sniffed before taking another breath.  He looked deeply into Aveline’s eyes despite how blurry his vision became from the tears. “And for that, I apologize for not taking your feelings into consideration.  I apologize for not listening to you.  I apologize for making the situation worse because I refused to heed the problem because I did not want to fight with you.  I apologize for making you go on a wild-goose chase to find me in the rain.  I apologize to you Aveline de Grandpré.” The man took one more deep breath. “Will you consider forgiving a fool like me?”

Aveline gave a watery chuckle.  She gently reached out and sweetly wiped Connor’s tears.  He closed his eyes, getting lost at the feeling of the woman’s soft yet ice cold fingers touching his face.  Connor opened his eyes, seeing how close Aveline’s face was to his.

“Only if you forgive a foolish woman like me.”

Connor gave a bright smile. “I already have.” His large hands took hold of the woman’s face.  Her skin was freezing to the touch.  The Mohawk Native leaned forward and sweetly pressed his lips to Aveline’s cheeks.  He kissed every single tear away.  He softly smiled from hearing Aveline’s sugary giggle at each kiss.  Soft brown eyes stared into hazel orbs.  Both pairs of eyes closed when the couple let their foreheads touch.  They stood there for a brief moment.  The rain outside continued to pour like there was no tomorrow.

The moment was broken when Aveline slightly shivered.  Being in those cold clothes for a long time can cause Aveline to catch something.  And Connor really didn’t want that to happen.  He took his lover’s hand and led her to his room.

“Go ahead and take those off.  We can’t have you getting sick.” He looked through his drawers and found a pair of green sweatpants and a large brown shirt that had a picture of a gray bobcat preparing to hit a pair of bongos.  Connor smiled when he heard Aveline laugh.

“You actually wear this?  How come I’ve never seen it before?”

“Knowing you, you’d take it and wouldn’t give it back.  I’m still waiting for you to return my hoodie.”

Aveline grinned. “Don’t worry!  I’ll give it back when I get it from my place!”

Connor rolled his eyes in amusement as he searched for a shirt of his own.  He pulled out a gray shirt that had an illustration of a chibi T’Challa being embarrassed by his younger sister Shuri from recording him for wearing a magical girl outfit that wasn’t in his favorite color.  Aveline’s mouth dropped to the floor when she saw the shirt.

“I can’t believe it!  You actually kept and wear the gag shirt I got for you?”

“Of course I did!  It’s nice and comfy.” Connor puts on the shirt while exiting the room.  He walked to the bathroom and shut the door.  He ran his hands down his face and breathed deeply.  This whole day was taxing.  He went from searching for his girlfriend to having her show up at his apartment to having an apology session to being on good terms with her again all in one day.  And yet...he was happy that this entire ordeal happened.

Connor felt his eyes grow hot again.  He grabbed a tissue and wiped his face.  He blew his nose into it before throwing the used napkin into the trash.  Soft brown eyes stung with mild intensity.  He’ll just have to take something after he eats.  Connor reached for a dark red towel from the closet as well as a comb and silk bonnet.  He knew Aveline’s hair would get dry quickly so he had to get to work.

Inside Connor’s bedroom, Aveline attempted to clean her face with some tissues from his dresser.  She looked in the mirror, wincing at her reflection.  Her poor eyes were somewhat red but puffy.  That’s what happens when one cries from a heartfelt confession.  But if anything, she was elated that this entire emotional situation was out of the way.  She sighed while putting her soaked clothes into the hamper.  Her ears perked up from hearing the bathroom door open.

“You coming?”

The woman followed her lover into the living room.  She loved how simple, yet a little lavish the living room was.  Hazel eyes glanced at the pictures and the decorations of the Kanien’kehá:ka tribe.  Connor sets the comb and bonnet down on the coffee table and turns on the tv.  He then turns to Aveline and places the towel over her shoulders.  He sweetly kisses her nose before guiding her to sit in between the coffee table and couch.  Connor sits on the couch first before bringing Aveline down in between his thighs.  His large fingers gently massaged Aveline’s temples.  The man’s heart _thumped_ rapidly in his chest when he heard his lover’s moan.  He continued massaging for a few minutes before stopping to pick up the comb.  The Mohawk Native moved Aveline’s head to rest on his thigh and began to comb through her damp locks.

Aveline was stunned.  How and when did Connor know how to take care of her hair?  She could feel him parting her natural curls into parts.  She then felt gentle but firm tugs going in several directions.  After combing through each part, Connor braided the curly hair into platts.  It didn’t take too long before Connor added the final touch: putting the silk bonnet onto his girlfriend’s head.  He made sure each platt was under the silk material.  Once he was done, Connor lifted up Aveline’s head to kiss her bonnet, her forehead, and then her nose.  He felt her slightly cold hands grip his face.  The heiress brought Connor’s head down further and finally met his lips with hers.

A surge of fire shot through the lovers.  Their lips parted and met again.  Aveline parted their lips once more and just stared into Connor’s soft brown eyes.  She felt her own eyes tear up.  She didn’t care that her tears fell.

_“Je vous ai manqué!”_ Aveline felt calloused warm fingers wipe away the drops of water.  She felt Connor stroke her cheeks before releasing her face.

The Mohawk Native used a bit of strength to lift Aveline off of the floor.  He gently brought her into his arms and squeezed tightly.  He buried his face into the woman’s neck and breathed deeply.  The lingering scent of warm vanilla sugar and cinnamon filled his nostrils.  Oh how he loved that scent!  His heart tugged when he felt Aveline lace her fingers with his.  A lone tear fell from his eye.

_“I thought I’d lose you…”_ The Afro-French woman felt her heart swell from understanding what Connor said in his mother tongue.  She gently pried her boyfriend’s hands off her body.  Aveline turned around and straddled Connor’s waist.  She sweetly took his face into her hands.  Large, calloused palms held the smaller pair.

“Connor...I’m so sorry…”

“As am I.” He gently brought Aveline’s hands to his lips and kissed them. “I did not want to hurt you.  And I did.  And I don’t want us to have another fight like this again.”

Aveline kissed his forehead and then his large nose. “And so we won’t.” She then rubbed somewhat large nose with Connor’s. “I promise to not speak over you and to hear you out from now on.  And I promise not to say hurtful words when I am angry.”

Connor brought his girlfriend’s hands back to his face then let his palms rest on her waist. “And I vow to not jump the gun of trying to resolve a problem only to make things worse.  And I also vow to listen to you to find out why you’re upset and how we can work through it without exchanging foul words.” Connor smiled from hearing Aveline giggle from him pinching her waist.

“And how can we seal these promises?”

Connor chuckled knowing where this was going. “I can think of a few ways.”

Aveline giggled again before gently pressing her lips to her lover’s.  She couldn’t help but moan from feeling the softness of Connor’s lips.  Her hands travelled to the man’s hair, relishing the softness of each strand.  Aveline’s heart picked up the pace from hearing Connor’s moan of pleasure.  She parted their lips again before kissing them.  A shiver tickled her spine when Connor boldly wrestled his tongue with hers.  Damn.  This man sure knows how to please!  The Native glided one hand up Aveline’s back.  She moaned against his lips, making Connor swell with pride.  He wasn’t touching Aveline’s skin but the friction of the shirt he gave her sent sparks into his fingertips.  The couple separated from each other to take several deep breaths.  Connor attempted to kiss his girlfriend again until he heard a rumbling noise.  It happened again after a few seconds.  The lovers’ eyes widened when the source of the rumbling came from Aveline’s stomach.  Connor snickered as Aveline groaned and buried her face in her boyfriend’s neck.  Now the whole moment was ruined.

Connor moved his hands south and gripped his girlfriend’s thighs a bit tightly.  He rose from the couch with ease and walked to the kitchen.  He gently sat Aveline down on the kitchen counter and gave her a small kiss.

“You in the mood for anything?”

Still embarrassed a bit, Aveline shook her head.  She didn’t know what she really wanted.  She was so busy trying to find Connor that she didn’t even think about food.  Aveline looked around to see if there’s anything out she could try to eat.  Her eyes looked on the counter on the other side of the kitchen and spotted a paper bag with the coffee shop’s logo.

“You bought something from the shop?”

Connor looked behind him, surprised that he forgot all about the caked Terry gave him. “I forgot about these!  Terry gave them to me.  Said that I needed them a lot more than he did.”

Aveline smiled and pushed her boyfriend back gently. “I’ll put some tea on.  Do you have anything to make finger sandwiches with?” She looked through a cabinet and pulled out a kettle.  She ran the water and rinsed the kettle before adding more water to boil.

Connor looked into his fridge and grabbed several items. “It’s not a lot but it’ll do.” He sets the ingredients down and washed his hands.  He grabs a knife and goes to work on fixing their food.

Connor was glad Aveline taught him how to make some of her favorite snacks.  Some of them grew to be his favorite too.  He was trying to cut the sandwiches in smaller triangles but ceased when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso.  A small smile worked its way into the Native’s face when he felt Aveline snuggle into his back.  He finished slicing the sandwiches and wiped his hands.  Large calloused fingers laced with smaller ones.  The man sighed in content then brought one of Aveline’s hands to kiss it.

“You’re so nice to hold.”

The comment made Connor chuckle. “That’s what I’m supposed to say to you.”

A high-pitched tune coming from the kettle interrupted the couple’s intimate moment.  As much as the heiress didn’t want to, she released her hold and reached the cabinet and pulled out two coffee mugs.  She then grabbed two tea bags from a box and put them in the mugs.

“I’ll meet you in there.  Give me a minute okay?” Connor kissed Aveline’s cheek and left with the food.  He sets the goodies down on the coffee table before sitting down on the couch.  Channels on the television bounced around and stopped on a movie beginning to play.

Footsteps emerged from the kitchen, signifying the Mohawk Native that Aveline was finished preparing the teas.  The woman gives Connor his mug before she sat down next to him.  Connor drapes an arm around Aveline and laid her head on his shoulder.  He sweetly kissed her silk bonnet before turning his attention to the screen.

“I still can’t believe you like this movie.”

Aveline grinned. “You can’t beat the classics!”

“Yeah but _Mortal Kombat_?  You can’t get a cheesier movie than that.”

Aveline popped a piece of caramel cake in her mouth. “And yet, you still enjoy it.”

Soft brown eyes rolled in amusement. “You got me there.”

A series of minutes passed on as the movie progressed.  All of the food was consumed as well as the teas.  Aveline felt herself nodding off and constantly tried to keep herself awake.  Connor was faring better than the heiress but he knew he was close to fading as well.  He rose from his spot to clean up the mess.  Once he was done, he came back to the living room and turned the lamp off.  Connor took the blanket made by his mother from the top of the couch and draped it around Aveline.  He laid back on the couch pillow and beckoned his girlfriend to join him.  The woman yawned as she laid down on top of her boyfriend with her head on his chest.  She could feel her eyelids dropping with every second of the movie passing by.  Aveline didn’t even realize she was asleep.  She didn’t even hear Connor say _“Je t’aime”_ nor did she feel him kiss her bonnet one more time before he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

The outside world was bright.  Though the roads wet and the air was a bit stuffy, the people appreciated the sunlight beaming down on them. Although, not everyone was delighted to have the sunlight return.  The rays of the sun pried through the blinds of an apartment.  They poked the closed eyes of Connor, urging him to awaken.  And the urging seemed to have worked.  He groaned while blinking to gather his bearings.  He was still exhausted after the wild-goose chase to find his lover and making emotional amends with her.  Not to mention being restless and stressed from having that fallout with her to begin with.  Connor rubbed his eye and yawned.  He felt the weight on his body move and being lifted.  Aveline sat up while rubbing her eyes, mumbling in French about how annoyed she was to be awakened.  Her boyfriend sat up and stretched his arms to the ceiling until a satisfying _pop_ cracked in his back.

_“Good morning.”_ He softly said in Mohawk.

Aveline smiled despite being tired. _“Bonjour.”_

“Still tired I see.”

The woman nodded sleepily. “Stupid sun.  Can’t it come out some other time so I can sleep some more?”

Connor merely chuckled before kissing his girlfriend’s forehead. “Believe it or not, I’m still tired as well.” He yawned again while rising from the couch.  He extended his hand to Aveline for her to take.  The woman took Connor’s hand and was led to his bedroom.

Connor made sure that all of the blinds in his room were closed.  He made sure that the curtains wouldn’t allow any ray of sunlight to bleed through.  Aveline closed the door behind her before making herself get comfortable in the large bed.  The Mohawk Native finished the deed and got in the bed beside Aveline.  He laid down first before bringing the heiress down with him.  He wrapped his arms around his lover and kissed her bonnet.  Connor delicately fixed the bonnet a bit when he saw a few of Aveline’s platts peeking from under the cloth. She softly smiled from the contact.  It didn’t take too long for Aveline to fall asleep again.  Connor gave a soft smile.  He watched this beautiful woman getting the rest she deserves.  Her soft snores sounded like a sweet lullaby to Connor’s ears.  Within moments, Connor drifted to sleep peacefully with Aveline in his arms with a wish to not have such an explosive argument with her again.  He’d rather lose that than to lose her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second round! Again, I'm super new to this site so bear with me! I actually made this right after New Years and I envisioned this one shot for quite a bit. Although I did start over at first because it just wasn't flowing at all. But it did in the end lol. I really enjoyed making this one shot! My personal touches in this story were of course the silk bonnet, the bongo bobcat, and the chibi T'Challa and Shuri shirt design. As a black girl myself, taking care of our hair is super important. Silk bonnets help protect our hair from getting damaged and keeps our hair from getting dry. As for the bongo bobcat, Bongo Cap was a super popular meme at the time and I thought, why not? I actually envisioned Aveline to wear it while Connor wears the chibi T'Challa and Shuri shirt. The chibi T'Challa and Shuri idea was actually inspired by an artist on Tumblr that I don't remember that made T'Challa be embarrassed when Shuri made him wear Mew Mew Ichigo's magical girl outfit. It's pretty cute and hilarious xD. To be honest, I really can't wait to add more to this series. Now I just gotta sit down and actually write them out. And for those who don't know, Terry is actually Teiowí:sonte. I gotta learn to be flexible with the names and other characters and all. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this piece! Please leave some good reviews to let me know if my spelling or grammar is off! Stay safe and stay awesome Angels! Happy reading everyone! :)
> 
> French Translations:
> 
> Salut? = Hello?
> 
> Non = No
> 
> Au revoir mon ami! = Bye my friend!
> 
> Merde! = Shit!
> 
> Je vous ai manqué! = I've missed you!
> 
> Bonjour = Good morning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! I'm very new to this site and I don't know much about it! So I'm testing the waters by uploading my fanfic from FanFiction.net and see where it gets me. I actually made this story last year and I was gonna try to upload it on Halloween but it didn't happen obviously lol. Plus, I was too busy feeling myself cosplaying as Aveline. Anyway, for the costumes, I went with Princess Serenity and Tuxedo Mask for Aveline and Ratonhnhaké:ton because let's face it, they're the prince and princess we deserve lol. I kinda wasn't sure about Kanen'tó:kon's costume but Thriller just kinda hit me outta nowhere and why not xD. For Patience's costume, I went with Izira from the show LoliRock. I just love making Aveline and Patience into the pretty princesses they are! As for the coffees, I have a massive sweet tooth and I head-cannoned that Ratonhnhaké:ton would like sweet things but only if it's done right. In any case, I hope you guys enjoy this story! I know the characters will seem ooc but I couldn't stop writing it at the time! Overall, I enjoyed making this one and there will be more to come! Stay safe and stay awesome Angels! Happy reading everyone! :)
> 
>  
> 
> Also, if you don't know some of the words in French, here are the translations:
> 
> Le Coeur de Jeanne = The Heart of Jeanne
> 
> L'étoile du matin = The Morning Star
> 
> Tu as donné ta langue au chat? = Cat got your tongue?


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